why: [OE] Why goes back to Indo-European *qwei, the locative case of the interrogative base *qwo- (source of English what and who). This passed into prehistoric Germanic as *khwī, which has since died out in all the Germanic languages apart from Danish (hvi) and English (why).
why (adv.)
Old English hwi, instrumental case (indicating for what purpose or by what means) of hwæt (see what), from Proto-Germanic adverb *hwi (cognates: Old Saxon hwi, Old Norse hvi), from PIE *kwi- (source of Greek pei "where"), locative of *kwo- "who" (see who). As an interjection of surprise or emphasis, recorded from 1510s. As a noun, "cause, reason" from c. 1300.
双语例句
1. You flatter yourself. Why would we go to such ludicrous lengths?
你真自以为是。我们为什么要费那么大的力气？
来自柯林斯例句
2. Why are Geography, Drama, Art and English in the ascendant?
为什么地理、戏剧、艺术和英语逐渐受宠？
来自柯林斯例句
3. He wonders why the digits on his calculator slope to the right.
他不明白为什么他的计算器上面的数字向右倾斜。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Why not retrain for a job which will make you happier?
为什么不接受新的培训，找一份让你更快乐的工作？
来自柯林斯例句
5. Why should a great community like a university be afraid of nihilism?